Hepatitis Hits Prisons: Scope of Problem in State Called Terrifying

Richmond Time-Dispatch Online (05/03/99);
Green, Frank

The Virginia Department of Corrections estimates that 30 percent to 40 percent of its prisoners are infected with hepatitis C, for a possible total of 12,000 inmates. Dr. M.J. Vernon Smith says that the spread of the virus is beyond the treatment scope of the department. Treatment for hepatitis C costs an average of $15,000 a year per inmate, and many more doctors and nurses would be needed within the corrections department to provide the needed service. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that nearly 4 million Americans are infected with HCV, but many are not aware of their status as the virus may cause no symptoms for two to three decades after infection.

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